Saturday, February 28, 2009

The weather guys were right! We were watching the drizzle a few hours ago, then we stepped out and listened to the sleet tap on the cars and leaves, then.....as we were standing there looking at it- it changed to snow. Looks like it will continue for quite a while ( by the radar) and they forecast about 3 inches for us. It is about 33 degrees and dropping. The best thing is that it is the weekend and it doesn't affect travel to school or work. One down side is that the dogs won't go outside at all, so there is a little cleaning up to do, but I really can't blame them. I wouldn't want to go out there barefooted either. More pictures to follow as it piles up!

We were up and out early this am to go to the store in anticipation of the apocalytic snowfall that the weatherman has predicted for this afternoon and tonight. If we get it, it will likely be between 2 and 4 inches, and be melted off by mid-day tomorrow, but people here startlaying in supplies like it is going to be a long Siberian winter when they predict the slightest flurry. I do it too.....I am not ashamed to admit it. Walmart and Kroger were busy, but we went to Aldi and pretty much had the store to ourselves. By the time we left there, even it was picking up some.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The red-winged blackbirds are back in force, a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. I am not sure that they completely even leave for the winter, because I think I have seen a lone one occasionally, but for the last week there have been dozens in our yard and on the tall grass around pond behind the house.

There were about 10 in the tree and another half dozen or so on the fence. They were just calling their heads off. The tree is getting ready to burst with leaves too. It's amazing that no matter what is going on in the world, they don't know about it and just keep on doing what they are supposed to do, oblivious to it all.

This is a log that someone left on the porch at work with some baby squirrels in it. It is hollow on top, but solid on the bottom, so I thought it would make a cool planter in the flower bed. There will be elephant ears coming up behind it. They get about 5 feet tall, so they should shadow over it. I'm thinking maybe something purple that hangs down. I'll put impatiens around the foot of it.

Last spring, I THOUGHT I had pulled up all the Easter Lilies in the front bed. Evidently, I didn't get them all because there are as many coming up as there were before. Maybe it is bad juju to pull up Easter Lilies. I felt sort of strange about it when I did it, but there were so many that they were choking each other. These won't be ready at Easter, but they will be tall and blooming by late April. Now I'm thinking about tomato plants and all sorts of things green and pretty.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

In recent weeks, my first grade scholar has discovered that he can read anything he wants to read, so we have been bombarded with many questions about " What does ____ mean?" and "How do you spell _____?" For the most part, those are easy, but today, he asked a few that I had to really think about. We were alone in the car because sister had to go to church early to practice with her choir and Dad took her. Here's how it went.

Mom, what is a "mechanic"? (as we pass an add for a car repair shop) It's a person who can work on cars that are broken.

How does the RedBox know which movie you asked it for? ( as we passed Walgreen's) It is a computer.

Mom, are we Jewish? No, why?

Well, there is a Jewish calendar in the back of the song book at church. Yes, there is. Jesus was Jewish, and because of that, we study some things that have to do with Jewish traditions and culture. ( I was proud of that one)

Do you think I look funny without my glasses on? Not at all. I think you are handsome with or without, but you need to wear them. Do you think I look funny without mine?

Where can we find a good mechanic?Why do you need one?

Mom, can chimps go into outer space, really?

I guess he was just in a mood to know more...but bless Pete, he went from simple definitions to religious foundations to self image , then back to the yellow pages, then onto science. It is amazing how they can think of so many random things. I guess as adults we do the same thing, but it isn't so easy for me to answer my own questions.

I'm working on his chimp question right now. That one I can find details on. Wish me luck, because there is another rising first grader sitting at the table here now eating spaghetti and thinking.......... I am almost afraid of what she might come up with!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The dogs got up at their usual 4:20 this morning, so guess who else was up too. I was a little worried 'cause I had miscalculated my coffee supply and had only enough to make a half pot so I had to go easy on it until it got late enough to go to the store. The children got up and wanted bacon, fried eggs, sausage, waffles and strawberry stuff for breakfast and thankfully I had all that. They ate a lumberjack's breakfast, then we tripped to Aldi and got the stuff we needed. Norm did Angel food without us because it was threatening to pour and I needed to get my out of the house stuff done before it started. We got back home, got everything put away, then went to Taekwando, now I'm back home watching Gone With the Wind and doing laundry and playing on Face Book. Life is good.

That goofy little Bella dog is so funny. She just treats Bindi like a big fat sofa. If Bindi ever gets comfortably still, Bella climbs up on her and settles in for a rest. Lulu used to do that to poor Clairesse too. Chihuahua dogs are a most wonderful thing to have. ( Don't look at all the messy blankies on the floor.....they drag them out of the beds and pile them in the floor. )

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The splint is OFF! And she can walk on the leg......amazing. I took it off completely because it had loosened and the stiff part had migrated around onto the side of her leg and wasn't really doing too much to support the bone. Even though she is weight bearing and doesn't limp, I'm still keeping her up for a couple of weeks because even though it is functional, I am scared it is not quite sturdy enough for her to be jumping around on it.

This baby Lulu is really a tough nut and very special to us. Ok, me. Everyone else here is too scared of breaking her to have much to do with her. I don't blame them.

Here's a baby squirell that sorta had an accident of some sort. Not sure what happened, but it should be ok. Bonnie the pet nurse is taking care of it - bottle feeding and wound care.

I just got back from the career day at the catholic girl's school. It was actually a lot of fun. The girls were interested in what I had to say, which is refreshing. Now I gotta go pick up my own little students and start the afternoon edition of "dance class, homework, dinner, bath, bed."Exciting times. Tomorrow is work, then on Saturday we are volunteering at Angel Food, the TKD, then after that we'll go to Aldi. I love ALdi. I think I told you that before!

The big news story of the last few days has been of the tragic attack of a woman by "Travis", the 200 lb chimp who was kept as a "child." You know, there are really two tragedies here. The first of course is the injury of the lady, and of Travis' demise, but the other is the fact that Travis was in that situation to begin with.

I am the first one to admit that I adore my animals, but really only believe that those which are domesticated ( or commonly kept in captivity safely) should be kept as pets. I have to constantly remind people that even their pet dogs and cats are not furry little people, but are animals to the bone and WILL behave as nature intended when stressors are great enough. Travis should never have been in that home ( IMHO) and there should be laws in place that restrict such. Let me say that another way, there are laws, but they aren't strictly enforced. Unless there are adequate enclosures and safety measures taken, then they shouldn't be in that environment. I found a picture that was supposedly Travis on the internet and he was SMOKING! Sure, it can be humorous to see their antics, but tell that to the lady who may yet die. Of course, there are sancutaries that exist to take these poor guys in and they do a great service in providing appropriate care for the animals and education to the public. They provide retirement care for former laboratory animals and I truly believe that is a divine mission.

I was involved in the removal of two tigers from private homes about 15 years ago, and I will admit, there is something very attractive about having hands on such a beautiful and wild thing. The sad fact about sanctuaries is that they are most times full to capacity and there are animals that need to go into their care but due to financial constraints, they can't take them. What can be done for those? Is it better for them to stay in the homes, endangering people and themselves, or to be seized and euthanized. Even in rescues/sanctuaries, accidents occur. ( Remember the incident where the girl was killed in Hohenwald by the elephant.) The animals can't be held responsible for these things. They are, after all, animals.

You know, the biggest tragedy with this case is not that Travis died, but that he was in the position for this to happen, out of his mind ( perhaps) with traquilizers ( why were those needed? Had they been using them to control him?) and obviously defensive. No one will ever know what set him off, but perhaps this example will move those who keep them to educate themselves and also the "authorities" to do more inspection, education , and legislation to protect both the animals and the people who would wish to own them.

Ok, all that being said, I love chimps. They are the closest genetic "relative" we have as humans and I am fascinated with their behaviors that can so closely resemble our own. I remember as a youngster just pouring over Jane Goodall's books about the Gombe stream chimps. I think I still have her book somewhere......the cover is dog-gnawed, but I am pretty sure I still have it.

I may have to look for it and look at it with my kids and tell them a few things. That's how changes in the world start!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I am so excited y'all!!!!! Ree, "The Pioneer Woman" is now my friend on Facebook. ( Ok, she will be anybody's friend, but I feel special anyway) It is so cool! Of course, lots of friends and family are my friends on FB too. Ok, enuf of this blogging stuff.....I got some other stuff to do!!!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Not a lot happening in my blogosphere today, so I found this picture in my inbox and decided to let you get a giggle. This little "hot dog" is actually a chi-weenie ( we think). She is about 6 months old and belongs to our boss. The girl with the big appetite is one of our pet nurses, BB.Pass the relish!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Our little Kung Fu Porkchop surprised us last night by moving from his yellow belt straight to orange, skipping the yellow/black stripe belt. Another big WOW! was that at the end of his pattern, the last move was a FLYING KICK with both feet off the floor! I didn't even know he could do that, but he did and it was great! I was so proud of him, not only because of the performance he had, but also because of his behavior at the dojo. He sat and did just as he was told amidst a LOT of kids running around and making noise. It was a great night!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Baby Lulu continues to heal, and lately, she wants to get out of her box and "work" a little bit. She is still wearing her splint, but she walks on the leg pretty well when she "forgets" about it. Isn't that just the cutest face ever?

The people woke up nice and easy this morning and were dressed and ready by 7 am, which is AMAZING! The bus doesn't come until 7:45, so we had time to actually COOK breakfast and eat at the table together instead of running out the door with something not-so-good-for-you in hand. It surely won't happen every day, but I am going to do what I can to make it more often. It was a great start!

These guys can't resist the chance to make funny faces......gotta wonder where they get that from.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Milestone today folks.......my Old Navy jeans that I have had on the shelf with the tags on them for months finally fit! I bought them back in August, thinking they would fit, because someone told me that Old Navy runs a little big ( wrong) and that I ought to be able to wear a 12 in the sweetheart style. Well, ought to and can are two different things. I could get them buttoned , but the muffin top they created was just a big more than I could bear, so I stuffed them onto the top shelf of the closet. They have a "just below the belly button" rise, so I wasn't sure I would like them anyway.

Today when I was getting ready to go back to church for my class, I realized too late that I had put both of my pairs of jeans that still fit ( both 12's might I add) in the washer. So, it was either wear some really huge ones with orange paint on the seat, or try the new ones again. To my surprise, they fit great. In fact, now that I have had them on a while, they may be my new favorites. The lower rise is ok, although I may need to buy new underwear cause it shows. ( Ok, I desperately need new underwear, I admit it. Most of what I have looks like bloomers now)

Saturday, February 7, 2009

We downsized the splint yesterday, and Lulu seems to be using the leg about 40% of the time. It is pretty much white tape and popcicle sticks now. When she walks in the house, she will use it. Outside, she picks it up. She forgets about it totally when she is playing. Hopefully, the light support will keep her from re-breaking it while the bone strengthens. The bone has to bear weight in order to get stronger. I am thinking two weeks like this, then maybe just a bandage without the sticks. It seems like it has been a year since she broke it, but it has actually only been 4 weeks. Longest 4 weeks in recent history.

Here is my serious little Guitar Hero. He "don't play" when it comes to this game. He wants to get it right. In fact , he is up to 90% correct on "Slow Ride" and WILL NOT EVEN TRY another song until he "gets" this one. I would venture to guess that we have heard Slow Ride at least 10,000 times. ( Don't look at all that stuff in the floor - dog bed and toy box. There is also a big ugly green adirondack chair in here too that we used during the Superbowl, but I spared you the visual of that.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

With the economy as it is these days, most of us are trying to do whatever we can to shave the amount we spend. On Oprah yesterday, there were some families on that are using simple strategies to cut their living expenses to incredibly low amounts. Of course, it took them a while to get to this point, but in is incredible what they have done. You can probably look at the clips on Oprah's website.

I have listed one of the couponing blogs ( survivingthestores.blogspot.com/) on the sidebar. I am going to really start looking at these things and printing as many coupons as I can use. If the offers are there, why not use them? Of course, it doesn't make sense to use coupons to buy things that you wouldn't use anyway. I have done that in the past. You know, I would buy a name brand using a coupon when a house brand was cheaper than even the discounted name brand. For some things, I can't buy the house brand because the children won't accept the lesser price product. The most notable one that I can think of is macaroni and cheese. It is pretty much "Velveeta Shells and Cheese" or it goes in the trash. Sometimes we can get away with the Kraft product that has the sauce - not the powder kind. No way. Won't eat it.

I'll try and post any incredible deals I find so you won't miss them. Have a great Wednesday!

Things are looking a little better for baby Lulu. She is at least partly weight bearing on her leg and we have downsized her splint/bandage somewhat so that she can start walking on it a bit to build strength in the bone. Hopefully she will be able to be without anything in a couple of weeks. It will still be tenuous for a while, so keep her in your prayers. It is just silly how attached the whole family has become to these little midget dogs. Bella ( the little black masked one) adores the kids, Dixie and Lulu are my little shadows, and Allie is a Daddy's girl. Of course, when it is dinner time or cooking is going on..it is all Mom. Crazy.

No big plans for today other than work for me and church tonight for the family. Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist - I can't wait. It is nice to have about 30 minutes when I can just sit in one spot and can't do anything else.

Big Daddy will be out of town tomorrow and Friday, so the chillren and I will be on our own. I think we will have a pizza/movie night on Thursday night and all sleep in the big bed. To them, that is better than anything else we could do. He'll be back Friday night, so it will only be for the one night. Dixie will hate it because she won't sleep in the bed when the kids are in there - I guess they move around too much.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Sorry about the intermittantness and pitiful quality of my posts lately, but I just have been really occupied with other things ( my broken-leg dog, for one), and also, we cleaned off all the pictures from my hard-drive. That means that I have NOTHING to draw from when there aren't photo ops every day. My handy little Kodak camera has given up the ghost, so I am having to use the big Fuji , which is very ticky and just isn't as willing to give me good snaps. The image files are bigger, too, which means that they take a longer time to upload. That challenges my short attention span, lemme tell ya.

The dogs woke up at regualr time ( 4:30), so I just got up and let Lulu walk around a little in her newly modified splint. She can put her foot down and bear a little weight, but when she is on the move she just picks it up. I am going to give it a little longer, then we might be talking plate or something.